The body is a notoriously difficult subject to write about, and often, the language available to articulate our experiences can feel restricted to a clinical or medical context.

In this short course and workshop, students will explore new ways to write about the illness, disability, or the body through experimental poetry and prose, moving beyond or subverting a medical perspective. Students will be given a variety of generative prompts, encouraging them to consider how a social, political, emotional, or personal lens interacts with narratives about the body. We’ll read work by writers doing innovative work around the body, illness, and disability, including Torrin A. Greathouse, Saou Ichikawa, Johanna Hedva, Ilya Kaminsky, and more, studying the craft behind them. Each student will have the opportunity to workshop at least one piece in a supportive environment (note: some reading and responding to work ahead of time will be required).

The class is open to writers of any experience level with an interest in poetry, prose, or hybrid forms of writing. If you’re looking to discover a new approach to embodied writing, learn about experimental forms and language, or find new strategies to craft subversive narratives about the body, this class is for you.

Writing Subversive Body Narratives: 4 Week Course & Workshop with Mary Kate McGrath